


If You Give a Troll a Taco

by ItsyBitsyBatsySpider



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: F/M, Gen, Other, jamie becomes friends with monsters, old fic, platonic, romantic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-12-30 17:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18319733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsyBitsyBatsySpider/pseuds/ItsyBitsyBatsySpider
Summary: Jamie Bennett knew that a lot goes bump in the night. He just never thought that he could make friends with a half-troll and aspiring wizard with tacos.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> warning: this is a VERY old fic! So my writing has gotten a lot better and its not as good as it is now. So read at youre own risk. 
> 
> Also, i forgot a fair amount of what happens here. But anyway, i hope you guys like it. 
> 
> takes place 4 months after the Battle of Arcadia and 6 years after the encounter with Pitch Black. Jamie is 15 years old and still believes in the Guardians. Jamie has been taught by the Guardians how to defend himself and he sometimes helps them with problems that they have or just as a helping hand. And Claire is learning magic from Merlin. She has a new staff now, and i’ll reveal the powers of that one in later chapters. Switching perspectives. 
> 
> ENJOY!

All Jamie wanted to do that night was sleep. But no, he had to study for his damn science test in the morning. Why did he have to have science as his very first class of the day? Why did the school have to give tests so early? Why did he have to be so bad at it in the first place? Why didn’t he listen to Jack about skipping science till sophomore year? He banged his head on the table and let out a groan. A loud thud resonated through his room and Jamie winced at how loud it was. He didn’t want to accidentally wake up his mom, or worse… Sophie. 

 

He was thankful when he heard no sound come out of their rooms. Heaving one last sigh he sat back up in his chair and spun around. Overlooking his room as he twirled around. 

 

Over the years, it had changed drastically but a few things still remained the same. Like the positioning of his bed, the drawing he made when he was nine with him flying on his sled, the desk stayed in the same spot and so did his bookshelves. But other than, everything was different. A lot was different these days. It was kind of hard to remember the way things were in the times when Jamie had still been a kid. Oh, how he missed those days. Spending hours outside with his friends, playing with Abby, his greyhound, and watching cartoons with Sophie.

 

Sometimes he wished he could go back to those days. But alas, Father Time said no when he had asked, and what Father Time says goes. The encounter had left him a little disappointed. But what could Jamie do about it? 

 

Now, he barely had much time to go outside, with his job, chores, homework, and school getting in the way. He still hung out with his friends, but it just wasn’t the same anymore. Abby died a few years ago when he was in seventh grade, and it had really hurt him. He had loved that dog and he knew that there’d never be another one like her. But he was bitterly happy for her. She was getting old and it was her time to go, but that didn’t make the ordeal any less sad. And as for watching cartoons with Sophie, well, let’s just say that Sophie got a lot more annoying than she had been six years ago. So hanging out with her frustrated him a bit. Jack had mentioned that once he got older, he would connect with Sophie more and care for her more than he did then; but that time still hadn’t come yet. So yes, his life was different. And sometimes he wished to have a bit of excitement one more time. Just for old times’ sake. 

 

But his wish hasn’t been answered yet. 

 

Jamie shook his head, trying to clear his mind and gather his thoughts as he kept indirectly procrastinating. He glanced at the clock next to his textbook, his shoulders sinking in defeat.

 

It was 1 in the morning. He was going to fail his test for sure. And on that note, he closed his book shut, gathered his papers and notes and proceeded to put it all into his backpack. But while he was doing so, a clash rang through his room. Jamie jolted in surprised and almost yelped. Heart beating loudly in his chest, he tried to calm himself down, but to no avail. 

 

Then he heard talking, or more like scolding. 

 

“C’mon, Zulg! Don’t do that! You know we can’t do that! What do i keep telling you?” Someone, a boy, scolded. He sounded to be about Jamie’s age, but Jamie couldn’t tell exactly. There was something off about his voice that just didn’t seem right.

 

“To not dig through the metal cans.” another voice said. This one sounded gruff, as if the person who owned it was gargling rocks. 

 

“Because?” the boy said. 

 

“Because it can risk someone seeing us.” The rocky voice replied, sounding meek, obviously ashamed that he got caught. 

 

Curious, Jamie crept towards his window, careful to not make any noise.

 

Even though it was unlikely that they could even hear his footsteps, he still thought it better to be as quiet as possible. He thought of different scenarios as to how this would be a normal conversation, to anyone, but he couldn’t come up with a single one. Why would someone be going through his trash anyways? Or not want to “risk” someone seeing them? It was probably just a couple of hobos right? But none of that was even close to what it truly was. He wouldn’t have expected in a million years, to see talking, living stone walking through his back alley. 

 

Jamie’s jaw hit the floor. He had never seen anything like them in the six years he had been around magic! What were they? They were all different colors, and had what looked like fur on top of their bodies in differing locations. Strange grooves were carved into their “skin” that somewhat resembled tattoos and some of them had pointed ears or horns curving out of their heads. Jamie was stunned to say the least. None of the Guardians had ever mentioned such a thing like them!

 

Two of them in particular, caught Jamie’s attention. One was a normal looking girl, about his age, with raven hair and a white streak going through it; she wore a casual purple t-shirt, some cargo capris, hiking boots, and a black backpack. She would’ve passed for a regular high schooler if it wasn’t for the glowing purple bracers and greaves she was wearing on her arms and legs.

 

But compared to the person she was walking beside, she looked ordinary. 

 

He was tall. That Jamie knew for sure. He looked like one of the stone-beings, but also looked too much like the girl to be one of them. 

 

He had blue “skin” and long ears that peaked out from his nest of hair. But the horns were the most distinctive part of him, that clearly said he wasn’t human. Jamie could already tell, by the way he held himself, that you didn’t wanna mess with him. 

 

He stood and walked the exact same way Bunny or North did. Like he knew how to handle himself or fight at a moment’s notice. The “boy” wore a large sweater and those baggy pants that were elastic at the bottom. What were they called again? Oh, right! Joggers. He was wearing joggers. But they seemed to be just a bit small on him, as if he was in a rush while he was getting them. He wasn’t wearing small bits of armor like the girl was, which confused Jamie a little bit. But he still seemed just as ready for an attack. He watched as they slowly began to make their way past his house. 

 

Jarring out of his stupor, Jamie realized that they weren’t gonna be there for long, if they kept walking at their pace. So as quickly and quietly as he could, he walked to his bed stand and unplugged his phone that was charging; he went to the window and quickly opened the camera app, taking a swift picture of the stone-beings as they walked away. But he forgot to turn his flash off.

 

Oh, shit! 

 

Jamie ducked down underneath his window right when he heard a girl’s voice say. “What was that!?” 

 

shit shit shit shit shit shit please think it was nothing, please think it was nothing, please think it was nothing!

 

“Well, whatever it was, it wasn’t good. We have to keep moving. Let’s find somewhere to set camp.” the boy from before said. Nobody said anything after that. It was quiet, and for a few minutes Jamie was too anxious to peak over the windowsill again in case they were still there. But after about twenty minutes of sitting on the cold wooden floor, he gathered enough to courage to check outside. 

 

There was nothing. Jamie breathed a sigh of relief and got up off of the floor. 

 

Shuffling to his bed, he laid down beneath the cool crisp sheets and thought about what he saw. He’d have to tell Jack about this the next time he visited Burgess, and of course he’d tell his friends at school tomorrow. This was more exciting and important than some silly old science test. He could tell that it was the start of something, he just didn’t know what. But one thing was for sure. He wouldn’t be getting a lot of sleep tonight.

............

“Guys, i’m telling you! There were like stone creatures behind my house last night!” Jamie said to his friends while they were sitting together at lunch the next day. 

 

“Jamie come on. When was the last time something like this happened? It’s been years since we’ve seen that many myths in one place, and you’re telling us that you’re the only to see them?” Claude whispered skeptically to Jamie. They were all a bit wary when Jamie told them what he saw last night. To them, it just sounded like a dream from a conspiracy theorist freshman who stayed up too late and had one too many Redbulls. 

 

So of course they were gonna be a bit cynical to Jamie’s claim of seeing stone-beings in his backyard. 

 

“The only reason i saw them was because they were going through my trash cans and the noise startled me while i was studying for today’s science test!”

 

“You don’t think it could’ve been just a few hobos that were going through your trash?” Pippa suggested. She trusted Jamie when it came to these kind of things, but based on how late it was and how much studying he did, she knew it was enough to make anyone hallucinate. 

 

“No, Pippa, there weren’t any hobos! They were creatures made of stone! Simple as that!” 

 

Cupcake grunted in annoyance. “Pictures or it didn’t happen.” Jamie went to grab his phone. “And by ‘pictures’ i don’t mean that blur of a screen you call proof.” Jamie’s hand fell. 

 

And so did his confidence. 

 

“Why won’t you guys believe me? Has the last six years really changed you that much?” Jamie asked. His friends didn’t answer him, which only made him feel even better about the situation. 

 

“Like Cupcake said,” Monty began, “Pictures, or it didn’t happen.” 

 

Jamie’s face scrunched up in mild disgust. He couldn’t believe what his friends were saying right now. Why were they doubting him all of a sudden? Is this gonna be a repeat of what happened six years ago? Cause Jamie really wished that it wasn’t. “You know what? Fine! I’ll get pictures. And I’ll have ‘em by tomorrow. See you guys later.” He said as he packed up his stuff, threw away his lunch garbage, and walked out of the cafeteria. 

 

He was determined to get those pictures, and he didn’t really care if he had to pull another all nighter to get them. And besides, it probably wasn’t going to be any more dangerous than taking on Pitch Black, or sparring with North or being the target of one of Jack’s pranks. Right? 

 

Boy, this was a bad idea. Jamie thought as he walked through the streets of Burgess. What was i thinking? He began his search right after school, and it was 9 o’clock at night right now. He had been walking around Burgess for six hours, and nothing. Nothing to show for his hard work and nothing to show his friends for tomorrow. Jamie grunted in frustration and kicked a rock. 

 

“Ugh, this is hopeless!” he exclaimed to no one in particular. “How can i not find a group of walking rocks the size of cars that shuffle through garbage cans in the middle of the night! Honestly.” He kicked another rock. 

 

“Might as well go home.” he mumbled to himself. Shoulders sinking in defeat, Jamie turned around and began his trek home. He was on the other side of Burgess, and the only thing separating him from his house, was Lionel Park. 

 

Usually, the park was closed at this hour, but on more than one occasion Jamie would walk through it during a rough night or when Jack was visiting. The park was a good place to have a conversation no one could hear, and it made it easier than talking in his room. Jack could get claustrophobic easily and sometimes his mom would hear them talking when she walked past Jamie’s door. Or more like, he’d hear Jamie talking to “himself”. So they both thought it better to just chat in the park. It also helped Jack get more believers. 

 

The park was quiet, as it always was at night, and the only sound that could be heard were the crunch of Jamie’s footsteps, crickets chirping by the pond, and the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. It was dark, as September nights always were, and the shadows of trees adorned the ground, creating mesmerizing patterns making the shadows look dark and deep enough that if you made one misstep, they’d swallow you whole. The cold September wind bit into his nose and ears, making him shiver as he walked. You’d think that hanging around a winter spirit most of the time would make you used to the cold. Apparently not. The sky was clear that night, and Jamie looked up at the stars as he kept going along his usual path, mentally pointing out the constellations he recognized. Another wind blew, and his nose and ears were nipped at again. The leaves rustled, his feet crunched the dead leaves beneath his feet. It was quiet. 

 

Hold on…. Quiet?

 

Jaime froze. His eyes wide, body stiff and tense, but not from the cold. Ready for something to happen. A year after the events with Pitch, North took it upon himself to teach Jaime a few things, just in case Pitch showed up again wanting revenge on him. Soon, Jack joined in, and then Bunny too. 

 

Eventually. 

 

The only problem, was that they taught him how to use swords or boomerangs, or staffs. Barely any hand to hand. So Jaime was worried. He kept his ears open, and listened for any small noise that gave away his supposed attacker. When he heard nothing, Jamie began to walk again, slower, this time. Eyes and ears still open. A twig snapped and Jamie froze once more. 

 

shink! 

 

Standing barely a foot away from Jamie, was a gleaming silver sword, buried halfway to it’s hilt and glowing menacingly in it’s silver light. His heart pounded inside his chest and his blood roared in his ears. 

 

Every instinct he had was telling him to Run Away! but he couldn’t move! His mind went blank and he couldn’t think… all he could hear was the roar of a beast he had never heard of before, and the flash of silver light before he squeezed his eyes shut, and waited fo-


	2. Chapter 2

“Oh no.” the stone-being said. His eyes widened with alarm and in a split-second, Jamie knew why.

 

“No! W-wait! It’s it’s okay!” He tried to say, but the stone-being wasn’t listening. Instead, the awesome as hell armor he was wearing disappeared in a flash of of cobalt smoke, and a large silver coin fell from it. Landing on the ground, making a loud PING sound. 

 

“Oh no.” he said again. This time gripping the curled horns on his head. 

 

“Nonononononononono! It’s okay it’s okay!” Jamie desperately said, trying to reassure the creature. 

 

But when he didn’t respond to his reassurances, Jamie gripped the roots of his hair and let out a groan of frustration. “Man, I’m not good at this! I wasn’t actually expecting to find you tonight, but I did have high hopes and now here you are! And I’m ranting! Which isn’t going to make anything better! I’m just freaking out cause oh my gosh there’s a dude made of living stone with horns and fangs and armor that can appear out of nowhere! Man! I was not expecting that!” Jamie ranted.

 

Meanwhile, the stone-being finally broke out of his trance and shouted, 

 

“Blinky and Claire are going to kill me!”

 

Jamie made a face. Who was Claire and what kind of name was Blinky? Maybe it was Bulgarian?

 

“What are you talking about? And what the hell was that magic stuff? You nearly sliced me in half with that sword of yours!”

 

And that was when the creature began to really freak out.

 

“Oh mierda! You can’t tell anyone about this! Do you understand? All of this! It never happened.” the creature then picked up his weird coin, pocketed it, and began to pace around in circles.

 

Rubbing his hands over his face and taking deep breaths. Jamie could tell he was trying not to panic, but it didn’t really seem to be working. And this was when Jamie really got a good look at the creature. He had a black mess of hair, curling horns protruding from his head, and fangs, no tusks, pointing upward from his mouth. Long pointed ears peeked out from underneath his hair and cobalt eyes stared on at Jamie is fear. He was wearing the same thing he had worn last night, a sweater and jumper pants. But no shoes. 

 

That was something Jamie hadn’t noticed before. 

 

“Please, please, please don’t say anything!” he said to the teenager desperately. Jamie hesitated; cause he didn’t really know what to do. 

 

On one hand, he finally found the proof to show his friends that he wasn’t crazy and hadn’t imagined the creatures. That there was still excitement left with the Guardians and their world and that they weren’t too old for it! He could get them to really believe again! But, on the other hand, this thing was asking him to do the exact opposite. And to keep himself and the others secret. Probably for their safety and for others. He could just give in to his friends and lie to them, saying that they were right. He could forget that this all happened. But, can he really do that?

 

Jamie looked down, away from the creature and put his hands on his hips. He was really stuck. 

 

“Well, could we…I don’t know…discuss it at least?” He asked. Jamie thought that maybe, just maybe, talking would be the best way to go. The creature nodded his head and sighed in relief. 

 

“Yeah. Sounds like a plan.” He looked behind him, as if he was watching for something. “But probably not here. Let’s go somewhere else.” He turned back to Jamie. 

 

“Uh, okay.” Jamie said. He was confused as to why they had to go somewhere else. Wouldn’t it be safer to be out here in the woods? When there’s nobody around? “I’m just heading over to my place. And it’s pretty safe. High fence, relatively secluded, plenty of trees and hills. So, you’ll be fine.” 

 

“Great. Awesome. Let’s go. Now.” the creature said as he began to walk in the opposite direction of Jamie’s house. Jamie looked at the creature curiously. 

 

“Uh, my house is this way.” he called to him. the stone-being turned around. 

 

“Yep, of course.”

....................................

 

By the time they both got to Jamie’s house, the moon was high in the sky, and by Jamie’s count, it was probably around 10pm. They hadn’t talked about the elephant in the room yet, and it was awkward to say the least. And it was hard not to be intimidated by the height of this dude! Like seriously? How tall was he? Not to mention the curling horns and fangs and the subtle claws on each hand. That wasn’t alarming at all. Nope. 

 

But the question did come to mind, what exactly was he? He wasn’t anything Jamie had ever seen. Even when he hung out with Jack and the Guardians, he hadn’t seen anything like him. 

 

They finally reached Jamie’s backyard, and instead of climbing through the plank gateway, like Jamie did, the dude chose to jump over the fence entirely! Landing quietly on the grass and when he saw the look Jamie was giving him, he just replied with an innocent, 

 

“What?” 

 

Jamie just shook his head. “Okay, so my sister is inside right now. Let me just go tell her what’s happening. Shouldn’t be too long. Be right back.” 

 

“Wait wait wait. I probably should’ve asked this sooner, but…wouldn’t your mom freak out? Seeing me? And your sister? Your dad? I most definitely should’ve asked this sooner.” 

 

Jamie shook his hands as well as waved his hand. Dismissing the creature’s questions. 

 

“Nah, my sister is used to this kind of stuff and my mom is out on a business trip for the next five days. And I don’t have a dad.” 

 

The creature gave the boy an incredulous look. It was Jamie’s term to look innocent. “What?” before smiling and entering his backdoor. 

 

“Sophie! I’m home.” The sound of running footsteps met Jamie’s ears. He could swear that he heard his eyes roll.

 

“Where have you been!? I was worried sick about you and whether or not a yeti kidnapped you again to be it’s son!” (that was a long story actually). Sophie came into view just then, wearing her pj’s of white and green checkered pants and white shirt with bunny’s on it. When she chose it at the Kohl’s, she gave me a look that clearly said ‘Do you get it?’ and continued to giggle. it was truly clever. Her hair was in it’s unruly blonde mess, as usual, but it luckily wasn’t choppy like it had once been. 

 

Things have definitely changed these past years. 

 

“And then you didn’t call the house phone to let me know you were okay! And I had to make myself mac and cheese for dinner. You better have a good explanation or else I’m gonna tell mom when she gets back Monday.” She said with her arms crossed. 

 

Jamie sighed and tried to explain to her what was going on. 

 

“Okay, so let me tell you the short version. Last night, I saw a group of stone people walking through our back street, but none of my friends believed me when I told them. So they wanted proof of them and I said I’d get it by tomorrow. Which is why I was so late tonight, because I was out looking and you know how I am when it comes to conspiracy theories, I go nuts. So anyway I gave up and on my walk home I came across this stone dude! He had cool armor and everything and then some stuff came up and now he’s here to figure it out.” Jamie thought for a second. “Actually that’s the full version now that I think about it.” 

 

Sophie gave her older brother a look. “Really?” 

 

“Yeah! Really! Hold on,” he went to go get the stone-being, but then doubled back. “You may wanna prepare yourself. Try not to scream.” She gave another funny look right before Jamie went back outside to get the stone-being. 

 

He expected to find him standing awkwardly in his backyard, doing whatever stone-beings do in a teenager’s backyard, but nobody was there. The boy’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Where did he go? Jamie glanced around his yard, trying to see if he could find the stone-being and where he hid, when he suddenly heard a voice. 

 

“Hey, I’m up here.” 

 

Jamie started at the voice. Looking up and behind him, and saw the very person he was looking for, just sitting up on the roof. Feet dangling in the air and a little grin on his face. He jumped down with ease and straightened up to his full height. Jamie had to remind himself, not to feel anxious and to stay calm. 

 

“So,” he asked gently, “Can I go in?” 

 

Jamie swallowed, a frog all of a sudden in his throat. “Uh, yeah, sure. C’mon.” They entered the house through the glass door and then turned into the kitchen to find Sophie sitting at the island, her mouth hanging open. 

 

“Oh. My gosh, you were serious.” she said.

 

Jamie nodded. “Uh, hell yeah I was.” He turned to look at the creature and couldn’t help but notice the look of nervousness on his face. “Sophie, this is… uh actually, i don’t know your name.” 

 

“Jim. My name’s Jim.” He said. Jamie grinned. 

 

“Jamie. And this, Sophie, is Jim. He’s the stone-being i was telling you about.” Jumping from her chair, Sophie walked over to the now named Jim and looked him up and down. Clearly in awe of what she was seeing.

 

“Wow,” she whispered. “He’s just as tall as North! Jamie! Where did he come from!?” Jim gave an uneasy look to Jamie before clearing his throat and turning back to Sophie. 

 

“Uh, well, I can’t say. Sorry.” Jim said. 

 

“You don’t look like a yeti though.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You don’t have any fur and yetis don’t have horns or big teeth.” 

 

“Wait, I’m confused.”

 

‘’So you’re probably a spirit or something. But I’ve never seen a spirit wearing those kind of clothes before.” 

 

“But Sophie, we can’t see spirits without believing in them. So how can we still see him?” Jamie butted in.

 

“Good point.”

 

Jim raised his hands. “Okay, wait wait wait. What in the world are you guys talking about? And why aren’t you guys scared of me? I’m hideous.”

 

“You’re really not.” Sophie said easily, which almost put a smile on Jim’s face. Almost. But he was still curious as to why they were treating this like a normal night and not screaming and running away in terror. 

 

“But what do you mean spirits? Ghosts? There’s no such thing as ghosts. Except maybe Ghost Troll Council, but that’s different.” Jim stated. 

 

Jamie and Sophie gave each other a confused look before turning back to Jim. “But what do you mean they don’t exist? I thought you knew about spirits?” Jamie asked. 

 

Jim crossed his arms. “Can’t say that I do. Again do you mean ghosts? Cause they are the only things I can think of that come close to spirits.”

 

Sophie shook her head. “No, we’re talking about Jack Frost.” Jim made a face, clearly not understanding what the little girl was saying. 

 

“Tooth Fairy?” Still no response. 

 

“Easter Bunny?” Nothing. 

 

“Sandman? Santa Claus? Pitch Black? None of those are ringing a bell?” 

 

“Oh no, they’re ring a bell. I’m just wondering why a teenager like this dude thinks they exist.” the half-troll gestured to Jamie, who in prompt suddenly became defensive. 

 

“They are real. They’re just as real as you standing in our kitchen and talking to us right now.” 

 

“Then why are you asking me these things?” 

 

Jamie waved his hands in frustration. 

 

“Okay okay, hold on. I’m really confused right now, so let’s start from the beginning.” 

 

Jim nodded. “Sounds good to me.” he made his way over to the island and sat down in one of it’s chairs across from Sophie, who then gestured for Jamie to come over and sit by her. Said boy sighed before doing so. Then, as he collected his thoughts, he decided that it was best to start from the very beginning. 

 

“Okay, so here’s the gist. Centuries ago, there was a spirit named Pitch Black, who had decided to take over the world with fear. He was out of control, giving children nightmares, putting terror into the hearts of men, making people afraid of the dark etc etc. You know how bad guys tend to go. But then the Man in the Moon, or Manny, decided that enough was enough. So he chose four spirits who could keep Pitch at bay and banish him back to the dark. They became the Guardians of Childhood. Or as they’re better known. The Easter Bunny, Sandman, Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus. Bound to an eternity of protecting the hopes, dreams, memories, and wonders of children, they successfully stopped Pitch. Who was then thrown into his lair, never to surface again. But, he did. A couple of years ago, he finally had enough strength to return, and so he did. He plagued the nightmares of children with fear and made them begin to loose their belief in the Guardians. I was nearly one of those children. But what he didn’t know, was that Manny had chosen a new Guardian, one who could defeat Pitch and bring the children’s belief back and make the Guardians strong once again. And that spirit was Jack Frost. I was the last child to believe in the Guardians and the first to believe in Jack Frost. And that was all it took to take down Pitch Black. From there, Pitch was once again banished and we haven’t seen him since. But, me and Sophie do hang out with the Guardians. We’re like helpers to them and can be pretty helpful in a fight. Well, I can be. Sophie still has a few years left before she can get her own weapon. 

 

He turned to his sister, who made a grumpy expression, ushering a chuckle from her brother. 

 

“So you’re saying that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and Jack Frost are Guardians who protect childhood and are warriors for the moon who fought off an evil dude, who at one point ruled the world with fear?” Jim asked,

 

Jamie nodded, “Pretty much, yeah.” He got up, went to the fridge, and cracked open a soda, leaning against the counter.

 

“So, why can’t I tell anyone about you? Does it have something to do with the stone-beings.” 

 

Jim smiled. 

 

“Okay, first off, we’re not called stone-beings, as cool as that sounds. So you can quit calling us that. We’re trolls. And I guess this story is a couple centuries old too. I think it all started when this dumb-ass dude, named Merlin, cut off his nemesis’s hand and decided to make an amulet wi-” and just before he could finish the sentence, he got cut off by the lights in the kitchen began flickering and the shadows getting darker. A deep chill rooted in Jamie’s bones and he couldn’t help but think the worst.

 

“No.” Jamie whispered, putting down the soda in an instant and slipping his hand into his hoodie’s pocket, fingering a small glass ball. Jim didn’t seem concerned, as odd as that was, as he continued to watch the room get darker and darker. 

 

“Uh, Jamie?” Sophie squeaked. Her voice barely over a whisper.

 

“Sophie, go hide, I can take care of this.” She bolted out of her chair and from the room before Jim could call out to her. An unsettling cold draped over the room. And it wasn’t Jack’s kind of cold either. It wasn’t the kind that greeted you as you walked out of the door, or nipped at your nose while you walked home from school, or made it perfect for an afternoon in drinking coca and watching movies. It was the kind that drizzled a chill down your back, the kind that made you feel unsafe walking home, the kind that made you wonder if you were ever safe, the kind that made you fear the dark. 

 

After Sophie left the room, Jamie took out a small snowglobe the size of a gumball and threw it against the ground. In an instant a long spear appeared in his hand. 

 

It was Jamie’s weapon, the one the Guardians gave him for his birthday a year ago. They had all decided to put a little bit of themselves inside the weapon, or a piece that resembled them so that if Jamie was ever in danger and had to use the spear, the closest Guardians would then come to his aid. It was a really smart idea, but Jamie wondered if they could’ve done anything like that for emergencies that didn’t involve him. 

 

The spear was made up of wood from Bunny’s Warren, a pouch of dreamsand from Sandy, decorative feathers from Tooth, craftmanship by North himself, and designed after Jack’s staff. It was Jamie’s favorite gift from the Guardians.

 

The wood gleamed in the flickering light and the spearhead itself glowed a dangerous yellow. 

 

Sandy was nearby. And he was coming. 

 

Jamie slipped into a ready stance and prepared himself to take on a Nightmare or even Pitch himself. The shadows grew and became darker and Jamie’s grip on his spear became tighter, just as something emerged from the shadows. 

 

“Hey! There you are! I had to look all over town for you! Where have you be-” The person didn’t get a chance to finish as they were cut off by a spearhead being swung at their head. They ducked, spun around and tried to strike Jamie as he still came back from that dodge. He blocked it and went for a jab. And as he did so, he saw that it was a girl. Just about his age. She had ebony hair with a shockingly white streak going through it and was wearing a purple t-shirt with purple bracers and greaves.

 

This was the same girl I saw last night! Jamie realized. 

 

But that didn’t make any sense. If Jim was as a good of a guy as he appeared, wasn’t this girl good too? But then why did she have such similar powers, dark powers, to Pitch? He didn’t get to answer that question, for right then her brown eyes flashed purple and Jamie’s foot slipped. 

 

That’s not right. He thought. And then a staff was pressed against his chest, preventing him from getting up. 

 

“Whoa! Claire! Calm down. He’s a good guy!” Jim shouted, obviously trying to get the mysterious girl to calm down. Her eyes flashed back to a red-brown, but her staff was still pinning Jamie down. 

 

“What? He just came at me with a spear! What do you expect me to do?” the girl, now identified as Claire, said to the troll. 

 

“What the hell are you talking about!? You’re the one who’s working for Pitch Black!! I know that disappearing trick anywhere! And what the shit is with that glowing eyes thing!? That was freaky as hell!” Jamie shouted. The staff pressed harder against his rib cage.

 

“Jim! What is going on!?” She shouted at Jim who looked like he was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. 

 

“Okay! Short version! This is Jamie and he saw me while i was patrolling, and I’m trying to convince him not to tell anyone about us and the trolls and he’s also sort of an apprentice to centuries old spirits who are actually Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and Jack Frost.” The pressure on Jamie’s chest disappeared.

 

“Seriously?” Claire asked, confusion evident on her face. Jim nodded, “Yeah.” Jamie got up off of the floor, dusting off his jacket as he did so, and glared at Claire. Careful of what she did just in case she was acting. Or lying. And as he was standing there, he noticed that her staff was made up of black wood that curled in and around itself, as well as a raw amethyst sitting at the top glowing softly. It looked pretty badass. 

 

Jim was just explaining to Claire what was going on, when the glass door burst open and a stream of golden sand poured in. Sandy swooped inside, an intimidating look on his face and his golden whips out, ready to cause pain and destruction. Claire screamed and Jim had his mouth hanging open, staring at Sandy.

 

“What was that!? What happened to the door!? Where did all this stuff come from!?” 

 

But nobody heard her. Well, Jim didn’t here her. He was too busy gaping at Sandy and his whips. Also, the hair might’ve had something to do with it. 

 

“Hey Sandy.” Jamie said, greeting him nonchalantly. Sandy flashed a few images above his head, asking Jamie if he was okay and if he needed to pound anybody. “No, sorry for scaring you, but it was a false alarm.” Sandy nodded and his whips disappeared in a flash of light. That was when Jamie remembered about his sister. 

 

“Sophie? The coast is clear, it was a false alarm.” You could hear her sigh from the other room. Said girl walked back into the kitchen with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. But that disappeared once she saw Sandy.

 

“Sandy!!” Sophie cheered before running to him and giving him a hug. The Guardian of dreams smiled and returned it. 

 

“Who. Is. That?” Jim asked, jaw still hanging on the floor. Jamie smiled at the troll’s reaction. 

 

“This, is Sandy. Or more well known as the Sandman. He’s a personal friend of mine. Sandy, meet Jim and Claire.” Sandy created a bowler hat out of his sand and tipped it to the two of them; still holding onto Sophie as he did so. But Claire was still confused as to who we were talking to. 

 

“Wait, I’m sorry, but who’re you talking too? Who is that girl hugging? And who is that girl? And there’s no one there!” the troll looked at the girl. “Claire, that’s Sophie and what are you talking about? He’s right there!” Claire shook her head. “Sorry, but I don’t see anything.” 

 

Sandy gave a silent chuckle before flashing symbols at Jim, who in return gave him a confused expression. “Huh?”

 

“He’s saying that the reason she can’t see him, is because she doesn’t believe in him.” 

 

“Oh.” He turned to the girl. “Claire, you have to believe me when I say that there’s someone there.” Her eyes grew wide. “I know it’s a little far fetched, but he is-”

 

“I see him.” She said. She turned to Jim and then back to Sandy, who had a warm smile on his face. “How did he do that?” 

 

“Because you believed in him.” Sophie said, reminding everybody that she was still there. “That’s how it works with spirits. If you don’t believe in them, then you won’t be able to see, hear, touch, or feel them.” 

 

Claire and Jim nodded, taking in the information. 

 

“But wait, why was I able to see him even though I didn’t believe in him until just now?” Jim asked. Jamie shrugged and shook his head. 

 

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because you’re a troll? I’m gonna have to ask North.” 

 

“North?” Claire said, urging Jamie to explain some more. 

 

“Santa Claus.” 

 

“Oh.” Her face turned on the ‘this-dude-is-weird-don’t-trust-him’ look and Jim saw it.

 

“And Jim? Will you please explain to me why Claire isn’t a minion of Pitch Black and serving him to help him regain power when she’s using his tricks and obviously has the same powers as him?” 

 

Jim turned to Jamie and Claire gave the teenager a funny look. “Okay, well, first of all, she isn’t a minion of anybody. Well she was for a little bit a few months back-” said girl elbowed him in the ribs. “But that’s all over with. And her powers? Those are just coming from her Shadowstaff and she’s also a wizard in training. So yes, she can use that kind of magic, but she isn’t a minion of Pitch Black.”

 

“Um, yeah, sorry. But who’s Bitch Black?” Claire asked, hands on her hips. 

 

“Claire! There’s a kid here!” Jim exclaimed. Sandy had a horrified look on his face and Jamie was mildly glaring at Clare for swearing in front of his eight-year-old sister. Meanwhile, Sophie looked a bit confused, thankfully not knowing what Claire had said. 

 

“What? That kid said it!” she yelled in her defense. 

 

“I said PITCH Black. Not the other one!” Jamie rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. “Just… okay. So you’re not a minion of Pitch.” He turned to look at Jim, “So why don’t you tell me why I can’t tell anyone about you.” Claire peered at Jim, who had his arms crossed and a begrudging look in his eyes. It was clear that he didn’t want to talk about trolls, but it still had to be said if Jamie were to keep their secrets. Sandy, noticing Jim’s hesitancy gave him a nod and sat down at the island, Sophie sitting in his lap and attention facing Jim. The troll sighed and gave in. 

 

“Like I said, our story goes back a few centuries just like yours does. But if you want the short version here it is. My name’s Jim Lake Jr. and I’m the Trollhunter. This is Claire Nunez, and she’s a Trollhunter too. This last year, we’ve had to face many dangers that threatened your world and ours. One mainly being the Dark Underlord, Gunmar the Black.” At the mention of the name, Sandy’s face paled. Which isn’t anything to take lightly. Jamie payed closer attention. “He was on the brink of destroying the world, and having waited centuries for this chance, he finally got it. So me, Claire, and my other friends stopped him; and we succeeded. But in doing so our Heartstone, the center of life for trolls everywhere, was destroyed. We heard of another Heartstone in New Jersey and we’ve been travelling for four months now. We still haven’t gotten to New Jersey yet, and by the time we get to it, I fear that we will be too weak to even actually find it.” Jim turned to Jamie. “So if you tell anyone about us, not only would it endanger everybody, but it will also make you a target for other malicious beings. Like goblins, Changelings, and everything else. Not to mention you being put in a mental asylum for claiming to have seen trolls and magic.”

 

Jamie shrugged, but he still took what Jim said to heart. The dilemma he faced still persisted inside him, and he wasn’t happy with it. He could either tell his friends about the trolls and show them pictures that he took and throw away the trolls’ covertness. Or he won’t tell them and they’ll believe he was lying or having a mental breakdown while the trolls remained safe. The teenager sighed. 

 

“Fine. I won’t tell anyone.” Claire let out a sigh and Sandy beamed. “And besides, I already know how to keep a secret. How do you think I dealt with my mom all these years while I ran off helping the Guardians?”

 

Jim let out a sigh too and smiled, his whitened fangs flashing in the lamplight. He was obviously relieved at what Jamie said, and he placed his hand on the teen’s shoulder. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.” He dropped his hand and straightened back up again, stretching to his full height. Which nearly cleaved the top of his kitchen ceiling. Jamie, realizing that his spear was still out, gave it a violent shake; which was it’s command to shrink back into a snow globe. He pocketed the ball into his pocket and couldn’t help but smirk at Claire’s open mouth. She wasn’t the only one with a magic stick.

 

“So, now that we know about trolls and spirits, what do we do now?” Jamie voiced. Claire and Jim gave each other a look before glancing at Sandy.

 

“Well one things for sure. This changes things.”

**Author's Note:**

> comments and criticism is always appreciated!!!


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